Amid rumours of him leaving Manchester City in the near future, manager Pep Guardiola has already voiced his ambition to test himself at the World Cup, and he has time to do so in 2026.
The 2026 World Cup could be Pep Guardiola’s breakthrough onto the international stage and he is already keen for the challenge.
The Manchester City manager is already in the final 12 months of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and may be looking towards the next big project. The six-time Premier League winner has won in England, Spain, Germany and Europe but his dream of managing on the international stage is yet to be realised.
The Daily Mail reported in May that this will be Guardiola’s final season with City, with his contract due to expire in 2025. That will pave the way for the 2026 World Cup, giving Guardiola a year to work with the national team before the next global tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil in February about what he still wants to achieve in his career, Guardiola said: “The national team. I want to coach the national team to a World Cup or a European Championship. I would like to do that.”
Asked which team he thinks will make it, the Catalan coach added: “I don’t know who will want me! To work for the national team, they have to want me, just like at the club.”
One option is for the 53-year-old Guardiola to stay in Britain and take over as England manager following the departure of Gareth Southgate, who was appointed on a temporary basis to replace Sam Allardyce, who resigned after an undercover investigation into him advising a journalist how to avoid third-party ownership.
The FA may opt for another short-term appointment to bag one of the greatest minds in the game’s history, leaving England in semi-limb for the next year or so, but could then reap big rewards if they can persuade Guardiola to stay on beyond 2026.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager would naturally prefer to take charge of his native Spain, but Luis de la Fuente is unlikely to back down after winning Euro 2024, while France, Germany and Portugal, among others, have managers Didier Deschamps, Julian Nagelsmann and Roberto Martinez respectively under contract until 2026.
Guardiola has been in the final stages of signing new contracts with Manchester City on a number of occasions in the past, but now entering his ninth season in Manchester, the latest indications regarding his future look different.
City’s departure would be a huge benefit to any national team lucky enough to land him when Guardiola eventually steps down, and England may have a crucial advantage if they want to give one of the great players of this generation a path to the next World Cup.
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Puma’s home shirt is in the traditional sky blue colour, but features a darker blue stripe on the front inspired by the Etihad Stadium’s pavement. City moved from Maine Road to their new home in 2003, and the shirt marks the anniversary of that move.